Gerakan disagree to the proposal to increase water tariff

民政党环境、安全及生活素质局主任

吉打州德卡区州议员谢顺海医生文告

民政党环境、安全及生活素质局主任谢顺海医生今日针对国家水务委员会总执行长拿督张渊华提议每三年调高水费10至15巴仙以解决“非收益水源”比例高的问题作出强烈反对。

谢顺海表示，民政党坚决反对当局企图将“非收益水源”比例高的问题推卸给平民百姓去承担。

谢顺海说，根据国家水务委员会总执行长拿督张渊华的说法，造成非收益水源的因素有水管漏水，民众盗水，水表和蓄水此探测器老旧等等。 所以民政党认为，这些问题都是水供业者的责任，水供业者应该想办法解决这些问题，而不是公然向劳苦大众讨钱来解决自家的问题。水供业者并不是没有征收水费，相反的收入很可观，难道他们无法解决自己的问题吗？总的来说，造成非收益水源的原因绝对不是民众的过错，要民众为水供业者欠缺解决问题的能力而负责与承担，是很不合理也很不公平的。

谢顺海也是吉打州德卡区州议员。他认为，如果水费起价是为了遏制浪费水源那是合情合理的，可是基本需求的用水量不应该涨价。他也说，水乃生活的必须品，享用水是基本人权。每三年提高水费10% 至15% 肯定会对民众造成负担的，尤其是那些低收入阶级的民众。谢顺海认为，与其这样子贸贸然提高水费，国家水务委员会应该设计一个合理的征收水费率，以确保每户人家的最基本的水源需求是处于负担得起的水费价格，而超过基本需求的用水量，或高度浪费水源者，则有另一个“惩罚性”的征收费率来遏制浪费水源的问题。

Gerakan disagree to the proposal to increase water tariff

Press statement by Dr Cheah Soon Hai,

Gerakan head of central bureau on environment, safety and quality of life

Derga State Assemblyman

In responds to the proposal by SPAN CEO, Dato’ Teoh Yen Hua on increasing the water tariff by 10% to 15% every 3 years to curb the problem of Non-Revenue Water (“NRW”), Gerakan head of central bureau on environment, safety and quality of life, Dr Cheah Soon Hai disagree to the idea of passing the burden to the consumer.

According to the report from the SPAN CEO, Dato’ Teoh Yen Hua, the factors which lead to the high percentage of NRW are pipeline leakages, theft of water, and running down of water meter and reservoir detector etc. Cheah said, these problems are the water supply companies' problems, they should solve their own problems and not pass the cost to the consumers. The companies have been collecting payments from the consumers all these years for the water supply, how can they be unable to settle their own problem? To put it simply, the cause of high percentage in NRW is not the fault of the public, it is unfair and unreasonable to make the public pay for the incompetence of the water s

Cheah, who is also Derga State Assemblyman, said it is reasonable if the increase in water tariff is to curb the issue of water wastage, but the water price for the basic need should not be increased. He also said water is a necessity in life, it is also a basic human right to have water supply. Increasing water bill by 10% to 15% every 3 years is going to cause burden to the public, especially the low income group. Instead of increasing the water price so abruptly, Cheah suggests that SPAN should work out on a proper tariff to ensure that water is affordable and at the meantime, curb water wastage problem by increasing the water tariff for the excessive water consumed beyond the basic level.

upply companies.